Wednesdeye morning

Well today seemed to start badly...Doc Geoff could not find my bloodwork or x-rays. It turns out they were popped into a different doc's pigeon hole. Good news is that they came back 'clean' but the bad (I guess) news is that this means we are still looking for the underlying cause of my dodgy eye.

My optical nerve is swollen but this has not had knock on effects to the retina and that is good. He was surprised at how much improvement there had been, nice to hear given that I cannot read letters smaller than about 6ft with my right eye. I can cut out the dilating Homatropine drops and cut back on the Prednefrin; now three times a day in the right, once in the left. I had a few more tests - click a button when I see a light flash (one eye at a time), a scan of my eye and some pics taken. I have a blind spot, but that is because of the swelling of the nerve, but apart from that things did not seem too tense.

So the situation now is that we still do not know the underlying cause and therefore I am being referred to a 'very good' neurologist in Bondi Junction. I am also to have hydrocortisone to reduce the inflamation/swelling of the optic nerve. Two options there, tablet form or an insertion of a localised hydrocortisone doo-dad in my eye that will release the stuff at the inflammed site for three months.

Option 1, the tablets, comes with a lovely list of possible side effects, some of which may present with the eye insertion thing. Far more likely that the local anaesthetic will be the worst of my worries and I may get a bruised eye - but no pain and not significant side effects. The most common side effects are:

upset stomach, vomiting, heartburn, increase in appetite with possible weight gain, swelling of the feet and ankles, swelling of the face, dizziness, difficulty falling or staying asleep (insomnia), nightmares (fuck that! insomnia and then nightmares when you do nod off!), feeling depressed, anxious or restless (no shit, my eye is buggered, of course I feel depressed), feeling “high” or euphoric, acne, easy bruising, skin thinning, increased hair growth over body (no mention of increased hair growth on the head. Shame), presence of small blood vessels, changes or absence of menstrual periods, decrease in bone strength and osteoporosis.

And possibly the onset of diabetes. So it was fairly easy to sell me the eye insertion thing. I'm back again on Friday afternoon for that. I could have had it done today, but he said that I'd probably not want to go back to work afterwards, I might feel a bit shabby. Others have been OK and driven home after the procedure, albeit against the wishes of the doc. So it doesn't sound too dramatic.

Questions on my mind...
What is the likely cause or trigger?How bad is my bad eye?How bad is my good eye?Will it/they get better?Will it/they get worse?Will I have to stop swimming/running/diving/gyming/Using screens (note how far down the list anything remotely linked to work is)Am I Longsighted or shortsighted and do I have astigmatism? When I fix this thing might I not need the glasses?Will surgery be required?What are the knock on effects (caratacts, glaucoma etc.)?

I decided not to ask how much the needle in my eye will cost.